Moonlight's Shadow
by teddyted
Summary: What if Bluepaw and Crookedpaw stayed friends, what if their friendship became more?


Allegiances

 **RIVERCLAN**

LEADER HAILSTAR—thick-pelted gray tom

DEPUTY SHELLHEART—dappled gray tom

MEDICINE CAT BRAMBLEBERRY—pretty white she-cat with black-spotted fur, blue eyes, and a strikingly pink nose

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

RIPPLECLAW—black-and-silver tabby tom

TIMBERFUR—brown tom

MUDFUR—long-haired light brown tom

OWLFUR—brown-and-white tom

OTTERSPLASH—white-and-pale-ginger she-cat

CEDARPELT—brown tabby tom, stout and short-tailed

LILYSTEM—gray she-cat

BRIGHTSKY—nimble white-and-ginger she-cat

PIKETOOTH—skinny brown tabby tom with a narrow face and protruding canine teeth LAKESHINE—pretty, long-haired, gray-and-white she-cat

SHIMMERPELT—night-black she-cat with glossy pelt

APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

SOFTPAW—small, lithe,white she-cat with tabby patches

WHITEPAW—pure white tom with tabby-striped tail and brown paws

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

ECHOMIST—long-haired gray she-cat, fur tipped with white to give her a soft, cloudy appearance (mother to Volekit, Beetlekit, and Petalkit)

RAINFLOWER—pale gray she-cat (mother to Stormkit and Oakkit)

FALLOWTAIL—light brown she-cat with blue eyes and soft fur (mother to Graykit and Willowkit)

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

TROUTCLAW—gray tabby tom

TANGLEWHISKER—long-haired tabby tom with a thick, knotted pelt

BIRDSONG—tabby-and-white she-cat with ginger patches around her muzzle, flecked with gray

 **THUNDERCLAN**

LEADER PINESTAR—red-brown tom with green eyes

DEPUTY SUNFALL—bright ginger tom with yellow eyes

MEDICINE CAT GOOSEFEATHER—speckled gray tom with pale blue eyes

APPRENTICE, FEATHERWHISKER

WARRIORS

STONEPELT—gray tom

STORMTAIL—blue-gray tom with blue eyes

ADDERFANG—mottled brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

TAWNYSPOTS—light gray tabby tom with amber eyes

SPARROWPELT—big, dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

SMALLEAR—gray tom with very small ears and amber eyes

APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

THRUSHPELT—sandy-graytom with white flash on his chest and green eyes

ROBINWING—small, energetic brown she-cat with ginger patch on her chest and amber eyes FUZZYPELT—black tom with fur that stands on end and yellow eyes

WINDFLIGHT—gray tabby tom with pale green eyes

APPRENTICE, DAPPLEPAW

SPECKLETAIL—pale tabby she-cat with amber eyes

QUEENS

SWIFTBREEZE—tabby-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes (mother of Leopardkit: black she-cat with green eyes, and Patchkit: black-and-white tom with amber eyes)

MOONFLOWER—silver-gray she-cat with pale yellow eyes (mother of Bluekit: gray she-cat with blue eyes, and Snowkit: white she-cat with blue eyes)

POPPYDAWN—long-haired, dark red she-cat with a bushy tail and amber eyes

ELDERS

WEEDWHISKER—pale orange tom with yellow eyes

MUMBLEFOOT—brown tom, slightly clumsy, with amber eyes

LARKSONG—tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes

 **SHADOWCLAN**

LEADER CEDARSTAR—very dark gray tom with a white belly

DEPUTY STONETOOTH—gray tabby tom with long teeth

MEDICINE CAT SAGEWHISKER—white she-cat with long whiskers

WARRIORS

RAGGEDPELT—large dark brown tabby tom

FOXHEART—bright ginger tom

CROWTAIL—black tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE,CLOUDPAW

BRACKENFOOT—pale ginger tom with dark ginger legs

ARCHEYE—gray tabby tom with black stripes and thick stripe over eye HOLLYFLOWER—dark-gray-and-white she-cat

QUEENS

FEATHERSTORM—brown tabby she-cat

POOLCLOUD—gray-and-white she-cat

ELDERS

LITTLEBIRD—small ginger tabby she-cat

LIZARDFANG—light brown tabby tom with one hooked tooth

 **WINDCLAN**

LEADER HEATHERSTAR—pinkish-gray she-cat with blue eyes

DEPUTY REEDFEATHER—light brown tabby tom

MEDICINE CAT HAWKHEART—dark brown tom with yellow eyes

WARRIORS

DAWNSTRIPE—pale gold tabby with creamy stripes

APPRENTICE, TALLPAW

REDCLAW—dark ginger tom

APPRENTICE, SHREWPAW

ELDERS

WHITEBERRY—small pure-white tom

Crookedpaw took in the multitude of scents, all four Clans in one place! It seemed like a dream, how could bitter enemies exist peacefully for one night? His clanmates entered the crowd with ease, Oakheart disappearing with them. He gazed into the sea of cats, he turned his green eyes to Cedarpelt who just padded up to him. _Are there assigned places?_ "Where do I go?" Crookedpaw asked his mentor.

"Follow me." Cedarpelt nudged his way between two tabby toms. The toms leaned aside to let him pass and Crookedpaw followed, keeping his nose to Cedarpelt's tail until they stopped in the middle. It was warmer there, Crookedpaw noticed, shaking his pelt. He wondered where his clanmates had gone and if they were friendly to any other clan cats.

His heart lurched as he spotted Reedfeather. The WindClan warrior sat among his Clanmates, staring up at the Great Rock, ears flattened against the cold. Crookedpaw stretched up, balancing on his hind legs to get a better look. "Don't stare." Cedarpelt nudged him and he stumbled forward.

"Hey! Watch it!" A gray she-cat with a ThunderClan scent hissed, her blue eyes rounded on him. Crookedpaw backed up slightly, she was smaller than him and younger, probably an apprentice as well. "You almost knocked-" She stopped in her tracks, her very blue eyes landed on his jaw. Crookedpaw lowered his head slightly, his clanmates hadn't stared like that since the incident that earned him the jaw.

"Hi, I'm Crookedpaw." He greeted softly. She snapped out of her staring but seemed to watch him as a whole.

"Crooked _paw_?" She repeated incredulously, his tail lashed behind him. Were all ThunderClan cats this rude, it was _quite_ obvious that his paw wasn't crooked.

"Yeah, my warrior name is kind of predictable," he paused thoughtfully, "unless my tail ends up going the same way." The gray she-cat gave a half choked purr, surprise sparkling in her blue orbs. "So what's your name?"

"Bluepaw." Bluepaw said, he tilted his head. Her pelt was a very soft light gray, the moonlight didn't make it look blue.

"You don't look that blue to me." Crookedpaw decided, she purred at him.

"I look more blue in the sunlight." She explained, her tail flicked.

"I'll hold my judgement until then." Crookedpaw teased, Bluepaw shook her head but he could see the mirth in her eyes. Crookedpaw glanced around at the Clans. "Is this your first Gathering?" Bluepaw shook her head. "Then you know what's going on?" he asked hopefully. "What do the leaders talk about?"

"If you listened you might find out!" Cedarpelt hissed sharply. Crookedpaw ducked forward and whispered in Bluepaw's ear.

"Which one is Pinestar?" Bluepaw looked nervously at Cedarpelt before flicking her tail at a reddish brown tom on the rock. _Oh_! Crookedpaw remembered him from Sunningrocks, the broad tom scooted over to give Hailstar space.

"Why haven't you been here before?" Bluepaw whispered in his ear, her eyes shining with curiosity. "You must have been an apprentice for moons now." Crookedpaw considered telling her the whole story, but it was long and unnecessary.

"I was a sickly kit, so I was apprenticed late."

"Hush!" A pretty tortoiseshell warrior leaned over. "The leaders are speaking."

"Sorry." Crookedpaw waited for her to turn away, then whispered in Bluepaw's ear. "Which one's Heatherstar?" Bluepaw's pelt fluffed out, her eyes cautiously watched the tortoiseshell before looking back to the leaders.

"The small one, next to Cedarstar." Crookedpaw examined both leaders before noticing Bluepaw's tail lashing behind her. He followed her gaze to see a dark tom, it must have been the medicine cats.

"Who's the tom?" He asked, she blinked up in surprise.

"Hawkheart, the WindClan medicine cat." Bluepaw hissed out, though Crookedpaw could see her trembling, whether from fear or anger. "He killed my mother." Crookedpaw felt out of his zone, how many times had he wished for his mother to die only to regret it moments later, he loved her as much as he hated her.

He touched Bluepaw's cheek with his tail, she stared at him with surprise before he jerked his tail away. She wasn't his clanmate, he wasn't supposed to care.

He had to change the subject, "Where are all the deputies?" In front of them, a bright ginger tom with a sharp yellow gaze turned back to them.

"The ThunderClan deputy is right in front of you, and he'll pull out your whiskers if you don't do as you're told and be quiet!" The tom hissed. Crookedpaw waited until the grumpy deputy turned back around before rolling his eyes.

Were all senior warriors this bossy? Bluepaw's whiskers twitched and she faced the leaders, Crookedpaw sighed and did so as well. Heatherstar stood at the edge.

"We have restocked our medicine supplies." Her eyes flashed toward the ThunderClan cats. "And all our elders and kits have finally recovered from the unprovoked attack by ThunderClan."

A ThunderClan tom growled. "We fought only warriors! No kit or elder was attacked."

"Or stolen." Crookedpaw heard Ottersplash's bitter mew. The white-and-ginger she-cat was staring at Reedfeather. The WindClan warrior turned.

"They weren't stolen," he growled. "They were taken home." A WindClan tom beside him snapped his head around and glared at Ottersplash. She didn't flinch, meeting the gaze, chin high. Owlfur pushed through the crowd and lined up beside Ottersplash. "Calm down," Cedarpelt warned through gritted teeth. "Don't forget the truce."

Owlfur narrowed his eyes. "Like Hailstar's forgotten Willowkit and Graykit?"

"I'm glad Fallowtail is not here," Beetlenose hissed over the heads of a knot of ThunderClan warriors.

Reedfeather whipped around and stared at the young tom. "Let her come next time," he snarled. "Then I can tell her how much our kits prefer eating rabbit to fish!" Crookedpaw unsheathed his claws, bitterness ran through him much like an enemy's claws. Pelts were bristled and teeth were bared, growls cut through the silence.

Then a fear scent wafted around Crookedpaw, he looked at Bluepaw who nervously had her claws unsheathed and looked between the warriors. The leaders were unwilling to stop the madness, Crookedpaw sighed. Gatherings were meant for peace, not an all out fight.

"Great StarClan! It's cold!" Crookedpaw complained, brushing up against Bluepaw. She stiffened before relaxing. Though it was meant to calm Bluepaw, he couldn't be bothered to be focused on the leaders anymore. Her pelt was fluffy and thick as expected of a ThunderClan cat, her scent brought him deep into a forest.

He only started paying attention when his clanmates began purring softly with joy at the thought of the Twolegs leaving. Owlfur turned to Ottersplash with amusement, "They won't be back for a while!" He purred.

"That'll teach them to slide on the ice, even our kits know better!" Crookedpaw piped up, tail flicking with amusement. He had turned to face Bluepaw when she gasped, "Did they fall in?" Her blue eyes turned to him, filled with fear and slight worry. He frowned, they were just Twolegs, what was the big deal?

"No, they only got their paws wet," Crookedpaw considered himself, " _Mouse-brains_." He looked to Bluepaw for approval of his ThunderClan word. She muffled a purr and he didn't bother to muffle his own.

Pinestar stepped forward. "ThunderClan is thriving despite the snow," he announced. "We have two new apprentices, Lionpaw and Goldenpaw." The new she-cat apprentice ducked shyly between her Clanmates, while the tom stretched his head as if trying to match a warrior in height.

His eyes shone with pride, but when the other Clans did not turn to look or congratulate him, he hunched beside his mentor, crestfallen. Crookedpaw hesitated, before looking back to Cedarpelt, his silent mentor steeled him. "We also have two new warriors," Pinestar carried on. "Leopardfoot and Patchpelt!" The Clans held their chilly silence. Crookedpaw shifted, the tension so thick that he could run his claws through it.

He could only spare pity for the newest ThunderClan apprentices _and_ warriors didn't get cheered on, his ears flicked at his mentor in confusion, usually other clans cheered, right? It was tradition, it might as well be in the Warrior Code! His leader's attention turned to Oakheart, Crookedpaw leaned forward. "We have one new warrior, Oakheart."

ShadowClan began the cheering hesitant at first causing WindClan to join, Crookedpaw beamed. Bluepaw's pelt bristled and her eyes narrowed at the leaders, he felt his ears drop. It wasn't fair obviously, the ThunderClan warriors and apprentices deserved to get acknowledged, but it was obvious tension was running high.

"How could they be so _petty_?!" She quietly hissed, her teeth bared.

"He's my brother." Crookedpaw interjected, Bluepaw's head jerked to look at him. "Oakheart, he's my littermate." Surprise entered her eyes as she leaned forward to catch a glimpse of him. "He's pretty great, he wants to be leader and me to be his deputy." _I should tell him I want to be leader first_. Bluepaw politely nodded.

"I have a sister." She nodded to a snowy white she-cat sitting only tail-lengths away. "She's good as well."

"Maybe we can be deputy while they're leaders." Crookedpaw decided while his mind betrayed him. Bluepaw's tail lashed and she got a determined expression.

"No way, I want to be leader. She disagreed. His heart lifted and his whiskers twitched, _Me too_. He hadn't known that cats from different clans were so agreeable, he hadn't known that it felt like you've known them since kithood.

Bluepaw's tortoiseshell Clanmate flicked her ear with a paw. "Hush!" The warrior sounded cross. "How many times do you have to be told?"

"Sorry." Bluepaw dipped her head. Crookedpaw turned back to the Great Rock. Cedarstar was speaking.

"It is with sadness that I must announce our deputy, Stonetooth, is moving to the elders' den." A thin gray tabby, standing at the foot of the rock, nodded solemnly as his Clan called his name.

"He doesn't look so old," Bluepaw whispered. The gray tom's teeth curled from under his lip like claws.

Crookedpaw choked back a purr. "Just a bit long in the tooth." Bluepaw nudged Crookedpaw, purring, too.

"He can't help it."

"Raggedpelt will take his place," Cedarstar went on. A dark brown warrior stalked from the crowd of ShadowClan cats into a pool of moonlight below the rock. Crookedpaw noticed the fur lifting along Bluepaw's spine as Raggedpelt's Clanmates yowled his name. She was watching the ShadowClan cats gathered at the foot of the rock through narrowed eyes.

She doesn't trust them at all. Was it just because they were ShadowClan? Maybe there would be time to ask her later. As the leaders jumped down from the Great Rock, he watched the Clans melting into their separate groups. He tasted the air, collecting scents as he memorized as many pelts as he could.

"Come on." Cedarpelt nudged him. "Let's go. It's too cold to hang around and share tongues." He threw a look at WindClan as they climbed the other side of the hollow, heading up to the moors. "And I don't think any Clan would want to share tongues tonight, even if it was greenleaf."

Crookedpaw was hesitant to leave, Bluepaw was amazing! As he rose to leave, his tail went along her flank. She looked up in surprise, her eyes said her goodbye for her.

"Are Gatherings always so confrontational?" Crookedpaw wondered, wishing he could stay back and Share Tongues.

"Leaf-bare makes bellies empty and tempers short." Cedarpelt explained. Crookedpaw nodded in understanding as Oakheart padded up.

"How was your first Gathering?" Oakheart asked, nudging his side. Crookedpaw wanted to tell him all about Bluepaw, how she was so smart, how soft and warm her pelt was. Realization hit him and he felt his tail drop in horror.

He gazed at Oakheart, his brother's amber eyes patiently watched him.

"It was nice."

Bluepaw looked back at Crookedpaw's retreating form before sighing, the funny tom had amused her and was good company. She stood up and immediately a pelt brushed against her own, she was briefly reminded of the RiverClan apprentice. "Who was that?" Snowpaw peered at her. Bluepaw lifted her chin, really it was no business of Snowpaw's.

"Who?" Bluepaw teased, Snowpaw huffed, blue eyes narrowed.

"That RiverClan tom who you were talking to the _whole_ Gathering." Snowpaw pressed, curiosity obvious.

"His name is Crookedpaw, he's an apprentice." She said.

"He's big enough to be a warrior." Snowpaw scoffed, though a knowing look sparkled in her eyes.

"He started training late." Bluepaw defended him.

"Sounds like you got to know him pretty well." Snowpaw said, her tone accusing. But before Bluepaw could defend herself, her sister continued. "Be careful getting all friendly with other clans." Snowpaw whispered low, her own blue eyes hard.

"What do you mean, we were just talking." She demanded, rounding on her sister. Snowpaw blinked, her eyes narrowed as well.

"Nothing, it's just that truces are temporary, at sunrise you both are enemies." Snowpaw said, her tone nonchalant. Bluepaw let her sister walk ahead, dreading the feeling building in her chest.


End file.
